Seasonal workers' visa

You normally need a residence permit to be allowed to work in Finland. However, for seasonal work you do not need a residence permit but a visa.

From 1 January 2018 seasonal work done in Finland will be governed by the Seasonal Work Act based on the new EU Directive on seasonal workers. The Seasonal Work Act does not apply to picking of wild berries because this does not involve an employment relationship. Picking of wild berries will continue to take place in accordance with a letter of intent and the advance clearance procedure.

Seasonal work refers to work in agriculture and tourism that is done at certain times of the year. Examples of seasonal work include work in forestry, plant production and festivals.

A visa for seasonal work in Finland is applied for at a mission of Finland. It cannot be applied for at a mission of any other Schengen state. The visa is intended for seasonal work in Finland only. The visa can be granted for up to three months within a period of six months (90 days in any 180-day period).

The regular processing times set out in the Visa Code apply to the processing of seasonal visas. A permit for engaging in seasonal work is granted for working for one or more designated employers and a seasonal worker may not change the employer during the seasonal work period. A visa granted for seasonal work contains the additional information “Seasonal Work FI” and its validity period starts on the date when the employment relationship starts.